in g P^G^GATpOLlG ' historical Researches. «< JULY, 18SO. 0* CONTENTS. Correspondence of M. A. Frenaye Early Converts of Brownsville, Pa. John Gray Als John Tatham. Establishment of the Ursulines at Kaskaskia, Illinois. 1833. I? 1 Traveler Smith's Account of the Catholics of Maryland in 1784. The Pope us President of the U. S. Bishop Con well's thanks to Contrib- utors "to his Natural Support." Extract from a Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Church, Philadelphia, Sunday, August 20th, 1790, by the Rev. Thomas Keating. Rev. Ferdinand Farmer, S. T-, a Priest of Pennsylvania, 1752-S6. 13- 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. I 19. Funeral Sermon on the Death of Rev. Ferdinand Farmer, who De- part* d this Life the 17th of August, 17S6, in the 66th year of his age. By the Rev. Robert Molyneux. On the Anniversary of our Lord. 1786 N.Carolir^anotanenemyofoiu-FaitJi .fi ivpn Papists and Quakers Obstacles to Episcopalianism in Maryland. Rev. John Ricco, Cigar Maker in Philad'a, and Planter in Alabama. Funeral Expenses of Stephen Girard The Missions of California. Historical Notes. Where to Find it. Who Knows. -^I John F. Kempker 12! Sketches of Catholicity in Texas, Very Rev C. Jaillet, V. G. 14; Father Louis della Vagna, bv H. F. Mcintosh 15. The Origin of the Flathead Mission, MajorEdmond Mallet, LL. B 16. History of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, Boston, Rev. Charles W. Currier, C. SS. R 2o( List of Baptisms of St. Joseph's Church, Philadelphia, 1 776-1781, 225 Father Farmer's Marriage Register, ^59-1786, '. 276 Father Schneider's Goshenhoppen Registers, 1741-1764, 316 Department of Genealogies : The Esling Genealogy, 333 The Sehner Family ." 367 Kelly-Hendry Families, 366 Reports ; The Library and its Benfactors, F. X. Reuss 374 Rules for the Government of the Library, 381 Public Meetings 383 Alphabetical List of Members of the Society, 386 ' Obituary, 389 Alphabetical Index, 391 Send orders to MARTIN I. J. GRIFFIN. 711 SANSONI STREET, PHILADELPHIA. ( - NORTH CAROLINA NOT AN ENEMY OP OUR FAITH. 129 NORTH CAROLINA NOT AN ENEMY OF OUR FAITH. It has often been declared, and the weight of eminent authority among Catholics has been given to the statement, that North Carolina at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of tlie United States and the inaugura- tion of Washington as President, was, by its Constitution, inimical to the Catholic Church and that it debarred Catholics from holding office, that thus "the old bigotry" was continued in legal enactment. An examination into the facts shows this denunciation of North Caro- lina to be unjust. The Constitution of North Carolina, adopted in 177G, in its 32d Article declared "No person who denies the truth of Protestant religion or the Divine anthority either of the Old or New Testament or who shall hold Religious principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of the State shall be capable of holding any office or place of trust or profit in the Civil Department of this State." The eminent Judge Gaston, a Catholic, in the debates in the Convention of 1835 revising the Constitution, shows that the Article of the Constitution of 1776 was not regarded as applying solely to Catholics as a restriction. He said in the Convention of 1835: "One informs us that it excludes nobody, that it cannot be interpreted to exclude anybody, that for want of tribunal to en- force and expound it the entire provision is a dead letter, as if it had never been embodied in the instrument. Another thinks, that it clearly excludes Atheists and such Deists as make a parade of their infidelity by proclaiming the Holy Scriptures to be false. A third believes that it disqualifies Atheists, Deists and Jews— for that the latter necessarily deny the Diviue authority of the New Testament and Deists deny the Divine authority of both the New and Old Testament. A fourth supposes that these are excluded and that it was intended also to excluded Catholics, but that the language is not sufficient explicit to warrant a judicial exposition to that effect. A fifth holds that it was not only intended to exclude, but, by legal construction does excludes them. A sixth is satisfied that Quakers, Memnonists and Dunkards are disqualified, because their doctrine, that arms cannot be law- fully used in the defence of the country is subversive of its very freedom and repugnant to its safety." Again he said : "It is obvious that the term "den;/" does not exclude those he merely doubt, nor even those who disbelieve unless that disbelief be accompanied by some overt act of negation of its truth. To deny is the 130 AMERICAN CATHOLIC HISTORICAL RESEARCHES. reverse of affirm, not of Belief. Many considerations of propriety and of decency may induce an individual to forbear from denying that of which he has not seen sufficient evidence, or to which he cannot yield his assent, or that which, on the whole, he disbelieves." Again, "Who shall say judicially what is the Protestant religion. 1 ' Richard Caswell President of the Convention which adopted the Con- stitution of 1776 "migrated to North Carolina from the colony of Lord Baltimore ; that was a colony of Catholics." It was stated, but denied, that "he was the offspring of Catholic parents and had been brought up in the religious faith of his ancestors," who had "found an asylum in a Catholic colony and it was the place of his birth." He was Governor of North Carolina in 1777,-8-9. Thomas Burke, a Catholic, was one of the framers of the Constitution of 1776 and was a Delegate in Congress from that State from 1777 to June 1780. He was of Irish descent. "Glowing with the love of liberty, he rallied under the banner of Freedom and fought the battles of the Revolu- tion as an officer of North Carolina. He publicly professed and openly avowed the Catholic faith. He took the oath of office and swore to support, maintain and defend the Constitution. Those who framed the Constitution called a Catholic to administer it" Catholics have been members of t the General Assembly. That the 32d Article did not exclude Catholics "has been settled by the decision of every department of the Government and has been sanction- ed by the people. Judge Gaston, "a distinguished member of the Constitutional Conven- tion of 1835, publicly professing and openly avowing the doctrines of the Catholic Church, has been recently appointed'by the General Assembly to one of the highest judicial stations in the State. Profoundly learned in the law, and eminently skilled in the solution of constitutional questions ; of irreproachable character and fastidiously scrupulous in matters of conscience ; of retired habits, not seeking but de- clining office, he accepted the appointment in obedience to the public will and took the oaths of office, swearing to support the Constitution. The Executive signs and issues the Commission. The Supreme Court receives it and permits the officer to take his seat on the bench and exercise the highest judicial function.— [From address of Mr. Fisher in Constitutional Convention of 1835.1 NORTH CAROLINA NOT AN ENEMY OF OUR FAITH. 131 "One thing is certain, from the commencement of the government to this day, it never has been brought to bear against the Catholics— for we have seen every grade of oflice in the State, from Governor down to Con- stable, at onetime or another filled by men of Catholic persuasion."— [p. 327 Debate of Convention at Raleigh 1835. | A Mr. Mason referred to the fears of some that the Roman Catholic would overrun the country. They might do it but he did not think halfas probable as that a mouse would kill a buffalo. Let them come. He would lay a wager that the Protestants converted two to the Catholics one. Mr. Wilson of Perquimons said of Gaston. "The man to whom public opinion has given pre-eminence in this State and rightfully too, has been for the last thirty years a conscientious member of a body of Christians few in number and proscribed in this State." — p. 394. There was vigorous opposition in the Convention and throughout the State to making any change in the Constitution but "Protestant" was stricken out and '■'■Christian' 1 '' substituted. The Committee so reported on July 4th 1S35. It was adopted by vote of 74 to 51, The revised Constitu- tion was adopted by popular majority of 5,165. Judge Gaston's county (Craven) voted 131 to 270 against. Governor Thomas Burke a Catholic, one of the framers of the Constitu- tion of 1776 was also a member of the Continental Congress from May 1777 to June 178U when he was elected Governor. The Researches is the first Catholic publication to record the fact that a Catholic from North Carolina was a member of the Continental Congress and Governor of the State. On September 13th 1781 he was captured by the Tories at Hillsboro. "The studied indignites with which Governor Burke was treated was alone to be devised by the malicious tyrant who disgraced the name of Britain in the slow tortues he could devise for the best men of America." — Moore's His. N. C. Vol. I. p. 328.) He was held as hostage for Lord Rawdon who on his way to England was captured by a French vessel. — [Schenck's North Carolina 1780-1 p.445,1 In January 1782 he escaped from "studied insult and hardship." "The man thus foully and inhumanly tortured was a high souled and courteous gentleman. He had filled for years the highest places of trust in America and was Governor of a great State. He was used to the respect and almost adultation of Society where his culture and winning manners made him universally beloved.— (Moore's His. p. 340.) s0 U 132 AMERICAN CATHOLIC HISTORICAL RESEARCHES. "He died a few day before Christmas 1784 and there was much regret at his untimely death. He was an able and versatile man and was greatly missed in legal and social circles." William Gaston, eminent as a Catholic in the history of our country, was in 1805 Speaker of the House of the State Legislature. He was for many years a member of the Assembly and leader of the bar of the State. In 1815 he was elected a Eepreseutative in Congress. In 1827 "the stately and illustrious William Gaston," as Historian Moore, speaks of him, was again elected a member of the Legislature. In 1833 he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of the State. "Few human tribunals have embodied so much learning, dignity and worth sa were then exemplified in the persons of the beneh of that Court." — (Moore's His. p. 37) During all these years the Constitutional provision of 1 776 debarring from oSice any one "who denied the truth of the Protestant religion" was in force. It is true however that bigots in North Carolina and elsewhere insisted that Gaston was a perjurer by taking the oath of office. Rev. II. J. Breckenridge issued an Address to the American People in which he so asserted. It was published in many papers in 1835-36. Corne- lius C. Baldwin, Editor of the Lexington (Va.) Gazette refused to publish Breckenridge's Address and in the issue of May 6th 1836 he made a defence of his refusal. — {Catholic Herald, May, 1836.) On the matter of acceptance of the Judgeship Gaston said "On a ques- tion where I was, above all, solicitous to have a clean conscience, I was not governed by my own views on it but by the ablest assistance that I could obtain and that 1 was confirmed in these conclusions by tne highest legal authori- ties both within and without the State. My course appeared a plain one and therefore I did not hesitate to pursue it. I shall be gratified if my country apppove of what I have done— but whether it does or not I have the consolation that on mature reflection my conscience does not re- prove me for taking the office which the country, with a full knowledge of all the circumstances, thought proper to offer me." Again he said "I pity from the bottom of my heart the poor creature who hankers after office. There is not one which this people cau give that I would turn on my heel to obtain." "The office sought the man not the man the office." So a consideration of the facts in the case of North Carolina would seem to show, that we Catholics have accepted as truth the declaration of unin- formed opponents of our faith, that Catholics were excluded from office by a declaration of the Constitution of the State and that such as took office did so contrary to the Constitution, and so must have ceased to be Catholics. But during the whole period it is shown that Catholics, as faithful as Judge Gaston, of whom it has been said that it is doubtful if he ever committed a mortal sin, held office. They did not '■'•deny the truth of the Protestant religion." They disbelieved its errors. MARTIN I.J. GRIFFIN. PAPISTS AND QUAKERS IN MARYLAND. 133 PAPISTS AND QUAKERS OBSTACLES TO EPISOOPALIANISM IN MARYLAND. In a '■'■Letter From the Maryland Clergy to the Bishop of London, Port Annapolis, May 18th 1696" the Protestant Episcopal clergy declared: •'When his Excellence Governor Nicholson, came into the Country in the year 1694 there were but 3 Clergymen in Episcopal Orders, besides five or six popish priests who had perverted divers idle people from the Protest- ant Religion." But notwithstanding that small provision which is made for your Lord- ships Clergy and the precariousness and great uncertainty of the tenure of what we have, the papists and the Quakers (of both which there are some of the richest men in the province, are much dissatisfied. .... Any yet we have lately received very certain advice from London, that those of our Quakers that went for England in the last Maryland and Virginia fleet have petitioned the Lords of the Committtee of trade and foreign Plantations to have the 401b. Pr. poll taken off as burden upon their estate and (as we suppose they might pretend) upon their consciences too. Could the Quakers clear themselves of the 401b. Pr. poll the papists might all pretend to do so too, because they have Priests of their own to provide for and could both these effect their designs the Clergy and Church of England would be left in a very naked and poor condition here besides that we might expect many that have their religion still to chose, would turn either Papists or Quakers and refuse to pay too for many of them look upon the Sacraments as needless impositions and go neither to) the Papist's Mass nor the Quakers meetings, and seldom or ever go to Church. - - - May it please your Lordship as far removed as the Papists and Quakers seem to be in their different sentiments about religion they are jointly bent against our Church and daily endeavor to draw people to their parties by suggesting to them that the Lord Baltimore will govern here again than which nothing can be more pleasing news to libertines and loose persons who can seldom or never be gotten to come to Church at all. And should my Lord rule as formerly the insolence of the Romish priests (who are somewhat curbed by his Excellency's great care and vigilance) would soon be intolerable in these parts that are so remote from England. Besides their being great numbers of Irish Papists brought continually into this province and many Irish priests being suspected to be coming incognito amongst us (as having no better place of refuge in the King's dominions) upon their being banished from Ireland, there is great reason to fear there will be as much discouragement and danger coming upon all his Majesty's good Protestant subjects as upon the English Clergy. This expectation of the Lord Baltimore being restored to the Govern- ment of Maryland, animates the Priests and Jesuits to begin already to in- veigle several ignorant people to turn, To their religion to which end they do (contrary to the Act of Parliament to deter them from perverting any of his Majesty's protestant subjects to popery ) introduce themselves into the company of the sick when they have no ministers, that his Excellency hath been lately forced to issue out his proclamation against their so doing to restrain them. — His. Mag. March 1S6S p. 1513. 134 AMERICAN CATHOLIC HISTORICAL, RESEARCHES. EEV- JOHN EI000, CIGAE MA.KEE IN PHILADELPHIA AND PLANTEE IN ALABAMA. During the Constitutional movement in Spain in 1812. Rev. John Ricco was one of those who took part in that struggle for national Indepen- dence. On its failure he was imprisoned. Richard W. Meade of Philadelphia, father of General G. Meade, the Victor of Gettysburg, was United States Consul at Cadiz, He aided Rev. John Ricco in escaping from prison to the United States. Father Ricco arrived in New York in the Fall of 1816, He came to Philadelphia and joined his companion in the Revolutionary effort, the Rev. Don Jose Codina, who had likewise fled to this country for safety. While in Philadelphia both earned a livelihood by making cigars. We have not traced the career of Rev. Codina but Rev. John Ricco remained in Philadelphia until November 1817 when he joined the settlers on the French grant in Alabama Territory. Congress by Act March 3d 1817 grant- ed four townships in Mississippi Territory ''To encourage the cultivation of the vine and olive." An association was orgauized and the land divided into lots of from 80 to 480 acres. The land selected was in the vicinity of Demopolis in Marengo and Greene counties, Alabama. Among the French emigrants are said to have been Marshall Grouchy, General Le Febre Desnouettes who was the Commander of the cavalry of the Imperial Guard of France, General L' Allemand Commander of the Artil- lery (who died at Bordentown N. J. 16th September 1823 (?) and is buried in Holv Trinity grave yard corner Sixth and Spruce, Philadelphia.) General Clausel who commanded the city of Bordeaux and afterwards became Gov- ernor of Algeria, Col. Raoul who commanded the advance guard of 200 men when Napoleon reach Grenoble on his return from Elba and many others known to fame. — {Distinguished Men of the South. Philadelphia, 1881 Sketch of Hon. Geo. N. Stewart.) Among the grantees were Marshall Grouchy, the hero of Linden and in 1839 Minister of War in France, Generals Lefebre Desnouette, Lieut. Gen. distinguished in all the battles of Napoleon, Gen. Count Clausel, Gen, Count Real, the two Generals L' Allemand, and Generals Vandamme, rev. .ioiin ricco. 135 Lakanal, Pennier and Gamier de Saintes. The colony was located on the Tombeckbee river in what is now Marengo Co. They established two vil- lages Demopolis and Eaglesville on the Black Warrior River. Also the villages of Linden and Areola (Romantic Passages in Southwestern History. By A. B. Meek. Mobile 1857 p. 37.) The late Mark A. Frenaye of Philadelphia if not among the settlers was a lot holder at Demopolis. From his Correspondence now in The American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia we learn that as early as 1835 W. Armistead had written John M. Chapron to get Mr. Frenaye to send to the General Land Office at Washington the deed of conveyance or transfer- or title of Trnbard to S. W. quarter of section 27 Township 19, range 4, East : The land was conveyed to Bishop Portier for the benefit of the Catholic Church of Mobile and was sold to Armistead. On September 2d 1852 Bishop Portier wrote Mr. Frenaye about the title to the lot he had given for a Church at Demopolis to be called St. Mark. Among others who went from Philadelphia and vicinity to the Alabama settlement was Mrs. Helen Le Boutellier and her son George Noble Stewart, by a former marriage with Capt. Noble Stewart, U. S. N. Their son was born at Burlington, N. J. 26th July 1799 and was christened, it is stated "in the Catholic Church at Philadelphia." Mrs. Stewart (Helen Counsel) had been married at Cadiz, Spain to Capt. Stewart, She became one of the emigrants to the new settlement. Whether she and Rev. John Ricco had known each other in Philadelphia or not we have not been able to discover. However in the new settlement their intimacy became so strong that they were married by Basil Meslier Justice of the Peace at Demopolis. Rieco's land was No. 18, Township 18 Range 3 East, containing 12 acres. It is about a mile from Demopolis in the Northeast corner near the Warrior River. Ricco engaged in the cultivation of fine vines of Spain and of the olive. He was known in Alabama as "General'' Ricco. In the meantime political agitation had subsided in Spain and Ricco was confirmed in title granted him by the Junta of Valencia, that of Vicar General of the Armies, with the salary thereto. So on October 20th 1S19, desiring to return to Spain, he applied through Mr. Arrieta, attorney, for a payment on account of salary due him since 136 AMERICAN CATHOLTC HISTORICAL RESEARCHES 1814. He asked for $900 or $1000 so as to enable him to returu. The King of Spain ordered that salary due since 28th May 1813 should be allowed him and $1000 sent him . Ricco then left his Alabama -vineyard aud wife "without giving any cause for it" in 1821. On his arrival in Philadelphia in April 1821 his friend Richard W. Meade, who was the leader of the Trustees in the Con well-Harold- Hogan schism at St. Mary's church, en- deavored to instal Ricco as pastor of the Church. Ricco seems not to have been desirious of this save to do a service desired by his friend. In May 1821 was issued by Rev. Wm. Hogan, "The Opinion of Et. Rev. Dr. John Rico of the Order of St. Francis D. D., and Vicar General of the Armies of Spain, on the Differences existing between the Rt. Rev. Dr. Conwell and Rev. Wm. Hogan, Relative to the Canons quoted by him and their application in support of his Claims to St. Mary's Church, with other Documents." pp. 11, 8 vo. It spoke of Rico as "a foreign clergyman of high rank and respectabili- ty, then on his return to Spain and enjoying the high rank of Vicar General of all the armies of Spain to which he had been recalled by the governor of that country." Hogan submitted to Rico certain questions "which might tend to allay the acrimony which existed in the mind of some individuals who supposed that opposition to a Bishop, however just the cause, was an unpardonable offence." The answers all justified the course of Hogan. The queries were made in writing at the house of John Leamy on night of May 2d, 1821 and the answers were"taken down in the Spanish language" by Leamy as he certified. R. W. Meade certified also that Rico was well known to him. "I have the most perfect confidence in his knowledge and experience as a Catholic clergyman ; I have been intimately acquainted with him for ten years, aided and assisted him in leaving Spain wher^ ne was persecuted on political mo- tives and not from any other cause ; I have been duly notified from Madrid of his reestablishment as Vicar General and that funds were remitted by the Government of Spain and paid me by Louis Clapier Esq. of this city for the purpose of paying his expenses back to that country ; that Rico declined being made a Bishop several years ago when it was offered him." So certi- fied May 7th 1821. REV. JOHN RICCO. 137 Rev. William V. Harold, who did the pamphleting of the controversy on the part of "the Bishopites" in October 1823 in "An Address to the Roman Catholics of Philadelphia" charged the rebellious Trustees with put- ting Ricco,a mairied priest, into the pastorship. The Trustees, on Ricco's denial of having married, denied the charge, and under date of Oct. 15th, 1823, Henry Toland, John Leamy, Louis Clapier, Juan Cardeza, John Vaugh, Jos Gardette certified that Ricco was a worthy and honorable man. in this country and in Spain. This was followed by the "Continuation of Address to the Roman Catholics of Philadelphia," Nov. 15th 1823, by R. W. Meade. It asked "Can the Vicar general and his anonymous coadjutor bring any proof of Mr. Ricco's marriage ? This gentleman on my questioning him relative to a report of this nature in circulation, solemnly denied it, in the presence of several respectable persons in this city prior to his departure for Europe. On this assertion, Mr. Harold stands publicly convicted of falsehood and slander." [p. 38.] At this time (1823) Ricco was in Spain, having sailed May 4th 1821 in the brig Rose, Capt. Tubby, for Gibraltar. On his arrival at Madrid he was restored to his position as Vicar General of the Armies and the Arch- bishopric of Valencia being vacant he was appointed its Vicar General and Governor of the Archbishopric. He was paid all arrearages and elected a Depaty in the Cortes from Monovar in Valencia and, when his character was being questioned in Philadelphia in 1823, was then acting as Deputy, Our investigations, made in 1887, convince us that Rico mairied the widow Stewart Le Boutellier. We gathered the recollections of those then living who knew him and of others who knew by family tradition of him. [These letters will be deposited with the American Catholic Historical So - ciety.] His step-son Hon George W. Stewart, died June 4th 1882. *'C&r^/. 'S>t 138 AMERICAN CATHOLIC HISTORICAL RESEARCHES. REPLIES. Augusta, Ga. April 18, 1890. In Researches of April 1890, is given a note of the funeral expenses of Stephen Girard. 1 was an altar bey at Trinity Church at the time of Girard's death and was one of the boys to serve at the funeral. My understanding at the time and now is, that Bishop Kenrick had given permission for Mr. Girard to be buried by the Clergy provided the Masons would come into the Church without their regalias. Francis Cooper (who in after years became a Catholic,) was in charge Of them. He refused to take off their Regalias and went into the church with them. Therefore the funeral ceremonies of the Catholic Church were not performed. The Masons after waiting some time took the corpse out of the church and placed it in the same grave with Robert Joe on the northern side of the church. When they were at the grave, I, with other altar boys, was on the steps leading up to the organ loft ; the steps at that time were in the north-west corner of the church. I frequently heard my parents talk it over as I have stated. Mr. Cooper's family were Catholics. He was not, but on one of his birth days went to Emmittsburg on a retreat and thus was received into the Church. Either Father Vanderbraak or Guth was pastor of Holy Trinity at that time. 1 think it was Father Guth as Father Vanderbraak was a confirmed invalid. About F. M. Drexel having a bill for crape. I think that is simply a mistake, as Mr. Drexel was a portrait-painter, and I know that my uncle, Jos Malsburger, who was at that time adrygoods merchant on Second Street (I believe he was also a trustee at Holy Trinity,) furnished the crape for the occasion. Geo. S. Hookey. We give herewith a copy of the bill of funeral expenses. Funeral expenses of Stephen Girard. Extracted from the Executors' accounts filed in the Office of Wills. Mary Kenton. Mourning bonnets for Hannah, $ 4.00 Sexton's fees. Interment of the remains of S. Girard, 37.50 Mourning bonnets for Mrs. Kelsey and Mrs. Taylor, 6.27 A. O'Neal. Labor for preparing tomb of S. Girard, 20.00 L. A. Sexton. Mourning suit for Charles Simpson, 38.00 F. M. Drexel. For bill crape used at Trinity Church, 119,24 J. Anderson. City watchman for mourning suit for funeral, 42.50 L. W. Mirlin do do do 40.00 J. Leatherman do do do 40.00 H.McCormick do do do 43.50 J. Plaider. Putting up crape in Trinity Church, 5.00 C. B. Comby. Maki g coffin for the remains, 150.00 Mrs. Biddle. Laying out the body and attendance, 40.00